Where the Red Tides Flow
by ImmaculateRose
Summary: Ten years before Avatar Korra came to Republic City, and thirty-three years after the end of Yakone's reign, the Red Monsoon Triads rise to the top of the crime world. T for mature topics, mostly political, with sexual references in a few chapters if you squint. Pairings, romance not discussed in extreme detail: Linzin, Pemzin, Saikhan/Lin friendship. Cover art doesn't belong to me
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- If I owned TLOK then so much of it would be different. I also don't own the title inspiration**

Chapter 1-

Until the day that the people dressed like La at midnight came, Kasin lived a simple life.

Kasin was not a political person. He was a simple waiter, he fit nowhere in the complex hierarchy of Republic City, sporting the sons and daughters of legendary heroes and legacies. He wished for nothing from society, and he quietly fit into the daily routine, of taking orders, and passing them on. He expected nothing more except for the quiet ability to live life simply.

Tonight starts like a regular night, the slow lull of customers coming in, repeating daily routines with little variation to Kasin or any of the other waiters, and leaving for the night. The early visitors had just trickled in, and ate comfortably. Kasin stood behind the counter, pouring crystalizing water into cylindrical glass cups.

He walks over to the table and sets down the glasses, fingers lightly gripping the glass spotted with condensation and then releasing, letting it set itself down without a shake onto the table. A thank you is uttered, a female voice, and it is grateful but Kasin only nods, eyes not looking at the couple who looks Fire Nation. He leaves to pick up food for another table, internal clock and the sound of door opening and mouths chattering alerting him to start of the evening rush.

He walks over with food, appetizers, pumpkin soup dotted with pistachio and two raspberry liquors, lightly sprinkled with minuscule slices of peach. Kasin knew the food to be delectable, and he brings the food to the mahogany with a small flourish.

Kasin notices the door opening, and a large group of people, smiling and chatting, and then the lead female, glancing up ahead meeting Kasin's eyes, and smiling slightly. A hot flush rises to Kasin's cheeks and he shakes it away quickly, while recognizing the trademark gold-green eyes coupled with freckles that adorned every single one of the dinner guests, chiding himself quickly before walking as normally as he could to the back room.

"The Yum Soon Hans are here," Kasin announces and surveys the immediate reaction, the stilling the room. Yum Soon Han is a powerful name, and regular guests at this restaurant, but not to be treated lightly.

This was the place for waiters to, well, wait in between coming out.

Several waiters jump up in erratic movements, and head for the door. Kasin turns around and says, "Chong, you will wait on them."

The other three waiters continue out, with less of a stride, to other tables no doubt, acknowledging Kasin's instructions with the silent dignity that has come dancing into Kasin's life too many times.

Kasin pours himself a glass of water, carefully leaving it exactly an inch from the edge of the rainbow-inducing prism rimming the glass, and slowly follows the rim with his finger before drinking, slow gulps hydrating his throat.

Kasin left the room, without a glance back, and quickly surveyed the scene before striding over to a table staring pointedly at him.

"Finished?" Kasin asks, and he hears "yes" in confirmation.

Kasin picks up the plates, balancing them on one arm, and asks, "Would you like a dessert menu?"

The noises erupt and Kasin tunes out partially.

"Mommy please can I have dessert!" a girl's voice nearly hollers.

"No honey, you have already had enough dessert today," the mother- Kasin assumes- replies. "Just a check please," she looks up graciously.

"Mom come on, I really want dessert, and I didn't have a lot today! I promise?"

Kasin resorts to making rough estimates of the daughter's age when another child, a boy this time, "Yeah Totya Aliya please!"

"All right, dessert menu please," the mother said. Totya was the traditional north eastern Earth Kingdom title for an aunt or a loose term for an older woman to a child.

Kasin nodded, plates still balanced, and he walked back with an even stride and set the plates down where the small opening to the dishwashing section of the restaurant.

He looks to the sound of the opening door, realizing that the restaurant is now almost full, and sees five figures.

A chill sparks down his spine, as he sees robes the color of La when the light of Yue did not light her up. Shimmery, opaque, with no detailing. Kasin lets his paranoia- foolish paranoia!- get the better of him as he shrinks further into the counter, feeling an empty space with his toe. He looks down to see that the drink he is pouring has no overflowed.

One of the five people brings down the hood of his robe and one of the waiters- Peng- bustles over to him. What happens next is spontaneous.

No not spontaneous, carefully coordinated.

The waiter is tripped, shrieks ensue, as the food flies everywhere and he hears apologies ensued.

`Kasin only has time to silently chide Peng in his head before power goes out.

"What is happening?" is more or less the common reaction.

Kasin withdraws back into himself.

Screaming, high and shrill, female, and male shouting-

The sound of water running-

The dark floor wet with, is it water, or blood? - Kasin smells-

Plates screaming as they crashing-

Kasin grabs a kitchen knife and holds it out into the darkness, his right hand over his nose as he breaths quickly from his mouth

Despite the din and noise, all Kasin can hear is his heart, and it is rushing the blood to his ears.

The power switches back on, with fluidity, and he notices Kang, the cook, out wrestling with one of the robed figures.

Kasin knows Kang to be a good wrestler, but he stumbles badly. He sends out a punch but it misses, the cloaked person dodging effortlessly. Then Kang is in a headlock, and Kasin drops the glass he has been clenching. It smashes against the floor.

Kang drops unconscious and Kasin can't tear his eyes away from the scene, he is bleeding, bleeding torrents, from his head. The paternal instinct in Kasin screams and then he sees his throat slit open. And the person above, now hood down, is staring at the mangled body of a _cook. _

More screaming, and then a crowd at the door, straining, screaming to get away, away from the nightmare of today. He watches, eyes wide, body paralyzed, as the women and men, people, in the back and front are shot, not with guns but sounding the same, and like dominos they fall. Red ribbons twirl out of their body, dancing the waltz of death.

Kasin drops down and pushes himself into the small cubby hole in the counter, fear, a paralyzing fear, fear stirring memories rather laid to rest, takes his ability to move.

Kasin starts taking deep breaths and starts focusing on the sounds, a trick his father- another memory suppressed- taught him.

First there are indiscernible screeches. Kasin closes his eyes, they are no use really, and concentrates.

"What do you want?"

"Who are you?"

"Stay away from my child!"

Kasin swallows hard, but the lump neglects to go away.

_I will not sob like an infernal child._

And Kasin doesn't, but he angrily wipes his eyes to make sure.

_Stop it. Focus on staying alive and knowledge. _

There is crying, a child's crying, the keening cry of someone who doesn't know what is happening around him.

The child's wails shake Kasin's shoulders until they stop. Just stop. Kasin resolves to not assume.

Then he hears new voices.

"The Yum Soon Hans are on their way with Seri and Kahn."

The guests. The ones in robes. The _murderers._

Kasin looks out from behind the counter, barely daring to peek out an eye. Swirling dark, midnight hair, and mere feet away from him. The woman, impeccable features that of a delicate rose, sharp yet refined. No bending, Kasin comes to realize that quickly. No, there is. Years as a waiter have taught him to be sharply observant, if only as part of a casual game that waiters played, Guess the Guest. Small flourishes with the blood on the floor, to pile it in closer and then to clean up. Bloodbending was much easier when the blood was no longer contained in the body. Kasin swallows scorching bile, and he momentarily considers reaching for a breath-mint.

They have their back to him so he is able to watch.

"We have done what we set out to accomplish?"

"And the remaining evidence?" a female voice, beautiful and melodic. Kasin is unable to pinpoint it to one of the three standing. One has their hood off, and the two others, Kasin assumes the two others are Seri and Kahn.

"It will not help the police. There are no survivors."

Kasin slowly exhales, and then holds it, as there as rustling between the robes, wave like swishing.

He cowers back into his cubby hole, tucking his feet further in to his waiter's tails. There is a quiet moment, and Kasin peeked out, heart thumping. He holds his breath as he watches unconscious guests, he fumes, he has waited on this people, some more than once, he, albeit not a bender, failed to take action and now they had fallen prisoner, to whom?

He peeks out again, immediately considering taking head notes for the police. He observes the quiet manner in which they were tying the prisoners- all thirty of them- the dark blue quality of the rope, and the flawless curving of the rope. Their backs are to him, but that doesn't stop Kasin from cowering further in while keeping his eye out, just barely passing the wood. The female, body curving with the moonlight, turns back, and stares at him right in the eye, smiles and languidly rolls her head back straight. Kasin holds his breath pressing his back on the board, closing his eyes. When he opens his eyes, the air is empty, no more footsteps, Kasin realizes.

And then his eyes correspond with his memory. A pendant, swinging out of the boundaries of her midnight blue, _midnight blue, _tinted red, a Red Crescent moon, the Blood Moon.

The Blood Moon was the symbol of the blood of Yue, shining its gore to the depths of La, an occurence less rare than only Zuko's comet, every 25 years the anniversary of Yue's sacrifice. The moon bleeding, a rare occurrence in history, and an omen for any smart enough to realize it.

Waves, that of the Northern Water Tribe, to the right of the crescent moon. Sharper than the ones gracing the front of the city of Kasin's youth.

The famed symbol of the Red Monsoon Triad. It was on the covers of the magazines of Kasin's teenage years in Republic City, always accompanied by the name Yakone. Yakone had disappeared, and the Red Monsoons faded into obscurity, never attacking, never defending, but always there. The Red Monsoon Triad is back, no bloodbending or frivolous affairs. The Red Monsoon Triad is back.

The police would be notified shortly. And Kasin would be back in his modest apartment, to his modest life, and seek a job elsewhere.

Kasin was not a political person. He didn't make laws. He didn't enforce them. He was a waiter, now a job no more; he took orders and passed them on, always in silence. He never talked to the police, always looked down in their presence. He left the law making and the law enforcing to those in power, he stayed in his place. Kasin never gave to society, and expected nothing back.

And he wanted it to stay that way.

**(A/N) This is my first story, so I'm not sure if I put the AN here on the edit document in doc manager or after it updates... Anyway, I was thinking that while the Equaists were right in their cause, well mostly valid, we haven't seen much abuse from power except from the Triads, which were shoved aside and never seen again in episode 3. Also, I was wondering about Yakone and whether or not he was affiliated with the Red Monsoons, so I wanted to explore that here as well. And I have had a scene of this story floating around, so I decided to write it, then it sort of added to itself. This is going to be 16 chapters long, possibly either more or less, and I have a rough outline for what happens in most of the chapters. I'm still taking requests for what to put in later chapters, because I may be able to put them in.**

**I just realized I have uploaded and deleted this chapter as of now three times because of grammar mistakes and tense mistakes. Sorry if I missed any, I'm not a fan of reviewing my own story. I better be though soon...**

**Spoiler alert for future chapters- I'm putting in some of the Fire Nation royal family, which will probably be heavily fanonized, and same with the Linzin break up and Pemzin get together, marriage, and babies, as the last 4 happen in a 16 month period.**

**Please review and sorry for the boring A/N**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nope. I own nothing.**

**This chapter wouldn't write itself so warning for the possible grammar mistakes and any mistakes.**

**And after I read this chapter on my phone, I had to go back and edit it, so this is a re-upload.**

Lin really had hoped for better when they were called to a shop in the Dragon Flats District. She was expecting something on the grandiose scale, perhaps an attack from the Golden Trembler Triad, who had recently proved themselves resilient. Or perhaps a group of rogues, or at least a smaller gang. It wasn't that Lin liked conflict. It was that her expectations were greatly lowered.

The owner was cowering behind the counter, only a foot in what Lin could only describe as an atrocity, and half of his face, well-manicured face.

And the so called criminal was on the floor whimpering at the sight of nine fully equipped officers, the elite metalbenders of Republic City, most of which taught by the legendary Toph Bei Fong and the rest along with the infamous Lin Bei Fong.

A petty theft. His hands immediately spilled out their contents, yuans, Lin had to admit there was a lot of money in there.

"He called us in for a petty theft?" Saikhan whispered to Officer Song, behind Lin.

Lin signaled with her hands for the back three metalbenders, Sirah, Loa, and Quan.

"I miss sleeping," Song complained, rolling his eyes contemptuously.

Lin suppressed laughter, as she flicked her wrist bringing the dirty thief towards her and then she released the metal wire from its gauntlet with a small cut of her hand. The thief was poorly dressed, in rags, torn and dirty, but covering his nether regions. Lin arched an eyebrow at the cowering shop owner, than looked back at the thief, slowly bringing her eyebrow back down. Whatever he had stolen was big, or perhaps was in large quantities.

"I haven't slept since last Thursday," Saikhan yawned, Lin glanced back sharply and Saikhan glanced down peevishly.

"Does she know the meaning of fun?" a voice recognizable as Loa's piped up.

"Don't ask if you want to stay alive."

Lin sighed quietly, déjà vu striking its eerie mark.

_I did. And then I joined the police._ Lin vaguely remembered summers with Tenzin and Bumi and Kya and Ursa, laughing, glorifying herself in her utter richness and legacy, and the feeling of childhood that the world was perfect unless the adults didn't allow anything. Kya would prank the Air Acolytes, Bumi would build something with various machinery, and he would try to explain to Lin of how it worked, Lin simply nodded

"Song, Liang, take the petty thief to the station to face the required charges," Lin addressed her officers, without turning back, and two of the nine officers broke from the group and raised the thief on a chunk of rock and walked orderly to the door, holding their hands up to "escort" the "criminal" over.

Lin turned to the shop owner, and donned her best fear inspiring expression while maintaining a neutral voice, "Petty thefts warrant at most street cops, we are reserved for crimes of a… larger magnitude. Remember that in the future."

Lin turned on her metal heal and signaled with her ring finger and pinkie finger to leave and go back to the station when the shopkeeper piped up.

"I was just scared, after what happened to Kuang's Restaurant, down the street, I didn't want the same fate to befall my store."

Lin froze and turned around.

"Please come with us to the station," Lin stated without texture to her full voice. Kuang's Restaurant? They had not been notified of any reports. It was just a shopkeeper, probably superstitious, who was scared shitless. _Or maybe he means something true..._

"He gave in a report detailing of what he heard. We sent a unit of streeties to investigate," Lin nodded for Saikhan to continue. "Several other reports came in as well about this as well as the shopkeeper's report and we have apparently gotten several phone calls but they were rather… strange. And not in the normal way but the uh..."

Saikhan paused and stared apprehensively at her.

"Spill it out already," Lin exclaimed, face still rock hard, but her eyebrows both arched up and jaw tensed.

"Well the restaurant is empty," Saikhan breathed out.

_Empty. _"As in closed."

"No as in its empty. Also the Yum Soon Hans have been reported missing and one of the Pangs has said, from a follow up, that they were last said to go to Kuang's restaurant. Also," _what now, _"we have had many incidents of people coming in and reporting relatives missing. Also the owner, cook, and waiters, and cleaning staff of Kuang's Restaurant are reported missing, since they are not at home, none of them, and their relatives, have again reported them unseen for the past three days. And many kidnappings of very low government officials have occurred in the past month, that have been shoved aside due to insufficient evidence"

"That's at least over 50 people, with a restaurant of that size and popularity. They can't all be missing. It could all be one incident though, an attack on the restaurant, and everyone there captured, including the Yum Soon Hans and the other relatives. Has there been any sign of conflict?" Lin asked, furrowing her eyebrows. An occasional person reported missing was not uncommon, many turf Triads resorted to that to gain leverage, a plan that very rarely worked, other than the Agni Kai Triads.

"The streeties should report back soon. Are you worried?" Saikhan asked, he had never been able to maintain an air of formality, despite Lin's, and other officers', many prompts to do so, although the young man was able to hold his own when it came to speeches.

"This may be an isolated incident, or the attempted rising of a smaller Triad, in which case we have only a nuisance to worry about. The Agni Kais would leave scorch marks and the Tremblers would definitely leave signs of earthbending."

"And speaking of Agni Kai Triad, we had several Agni Kai Triad raids on the docks. They were stalled by a unit of streeties and patrolies."

"We are spread too thin," Lin sighed, and moved her hand to rub her forehead. "We don't know who is behind any of this, or if these are even connected, the restaurant incident and the kidnappings, and the Yum Soon Hans. The Yum Soon Hans are powerful Earth Kingdom families-"

"So holding them for ransom would be to the kidnappers' advantage," Saikhan finished, and Lin took no notice.

"Along with other government officials, although kidnapping several low ranking members of society, most nonbenders-"

"People that won't be missed," Saikhan thought aloud, Lin stared up at him, furrowing her eyebrows, and cocking "yes."

"I'll ask Tenzin what the Council can do and you can look into possible new recruits and typical Triad activity," Lin said and nodded, Saikhan left the room with a similar nod, and Lin smiled privately, Saikhan had trained under her, and as such they had grown accustomed to arguing on the same side, fighting together, and shouldering through the same problems together, Chief of Police and Police Captain.

The ride on the ferry was too slow for Lin's tastes, but Lin would not want her image of riding metal cables to her boyfriend's house to be the spectacle of the week, Lin gripped the railings tightly, and breathed deeply through her nose. When the boat reached land, she stumbled out and spent a few precious seconds feeling the vibrations that the earth sent her, welcoming steady heartbeats, with the consistency of a metronome.

Lin crossed her arms and headed towards the house, resisting the near-overwhelming urge to launch herself up, as she had when she was young, before Tenzin had complained about the shockwave, Ba Sing Se-like garden it created. And so Lin lost herself in the steady rhythm of walking, enjoying the few seconds of serenity that her job would never provide for her,

"Ah hello Lin," Tenzin bent down to kiss Lin swiftly on the lips and Lin kissed him back, before pulling away and staring up at him coldly.

"There has been rising conflict in what we believe to be part of the Triads. The Agni Kai Triads are attacking constantly and there is an unknown attack on restaurants, that resulted in either mass murder or mass kidnapping. My forces are spread too thin especially with the Agni Kai's increased activity and the Trembler's attacks on various parts of the city," Lin stated flatly, _these are the facts, and they aren't changing, w_ay.

Tenzin smiled and responded, grey eyes twinkling, "You are too serious."

"And you are when all things Council come up," Lin massaged her temples carefully, waiting for it to come.

"All right what do you want me to do?" Tenzin sighed and looked down reproachfully.

"We don't know with whom we are dealing with-"

"Dealing, you don't know who it is."

"Exactly. And we need more forces because mine are spread too thin, as a result of Triad attacks and these unknown attacks," Lin stated, her voice edging towards exasperation.

"So you want more forces," Tenzin answered with only the slightest hint of disapproval lacing the edges of his voice.

"And the council to pass laws," Lin was just barely able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"No, we must prevent this violence from escalating into something we are not prepared nor should not deal with!" Tenzin's face turned red at the where his hair roots should be. Lin stared distractedly at his growing facial hair and reminded herself to shave it off while he was sleeping.

"It has already escalated and outside of our control! Now should we wait until the entire lower class and lower government officials have disappeared and another case like Kuang's happens, or will we bring in extra forces if needed, as a safety precaution and as an intelligence gatherer?" Lin shouted into the night, Tenzin's eyes narrowed, the moon glinted off of a small wetness on his cheekbones.

"A showing of forces could possibly ignite whoever we are up against!" Tenzin shouted back, then paused.

"Stop being such a typical airbender, the population is not like you, they are not pacifistic ninnies who's biggest daily concern," Lin parroted Tenzin's voice to a higher octave, "is whether or not this politician agrees with my all high and mighty ideals and how long should I grow my beard! There are people dying and being kidnapped and we don't know who is behind it and we won't know because of the aforementioned reasons and it's my job as Chief of Police and your job as the son of Avatar Aang to help them because we happen to have authority and authority that will help!" Lin stopped, staring coolly back despite her outburst, Lin was always able to quickly reign in her facial expressions.

Tenzin opened his mouth then closed it, and Lin glared madly at him, "Why do we always have to argue?" he remarked sadly and Lin felt something throb in her chest.

"Because…" Lin shrugged her shoulders and lips, "Because we don't agree."

_I don't want it like this, and I can't do it like this._

They paused, allowing clean air to seep in between the silence, neither staring at each other. Lin heard rustling in the bushes, and sharply turned to her left, ready to unveil her ropes from her gauntlet. She relaxed when she saw orange and yellow, and a young woman stepped out. She was visibly shaking, and had probably been standing there since their argument.

"Master Tenzin? Miss Bei Fong?" she squeaked out and Lin searched furiously for her name, and resorted to nodding, same as Tenzin. "Dinner is ready."

"Thank you Pema," Tenzin addressed kindly. Tenzin reached for Lin's slender hand, and she neglected to withdraw it, forgetting for once the sight of moonlight glinting off of lovers' bodies.

Dinner was a quiet affair, save for Tenzin's brief comment that he would send a messenger hawk to FireLady Ursa, detailing the current rising conflict. When the dinner had reached the point of pushing dejected food around the fragile plates, Pema had entered and called Tenzin out, stuttering all the while, giving Lin her second internal laugh of the day, the first being the comment of sleeping.

When Tenzin hadn't returned in over half an hour, Lin began to quietly search for him, rummaging through nonpractical reasons until she gained the good sense to find him via foot. Outside the door, to which her foot had pointed to, Lin stood quietly listening to Pema, ear carefully pressed to the canvas door.

"I just don't think she is right for you, and I thought you would want to know of my feelings, Master Tenzin," Lin listened for a reply from Tenzin and one came, only seconds later, in his deep voice.

"Thank you for telling me Pema, I will think about it."

She isn't right for you... My feelings... Lin was clever enough to piece it together and refrained from bursting into the room screaming bloody murder.

_If I'm right this should prove it._

Lin opened the door loudly and carefully surveyed the positions of the people in the room, Tenzin standing, holding himself stiffly, although something about his shoulders gave the sense of relaxation. Pema was standing with her cheeks quickly turning scarlet, the wide pupils giving away fear otherwise well covered.

"I'm leaving now, I have to do something down at headquarters," Lin stated flatly, glancing no times at Pema.

"You aren't staying for the night?" Tenzin asked, almost reproachfully, and Pema looked down to her own feet, closing her eyes.

"No. I'm sleeping in one of the bunks tonight with _my _other officers," Lin said, also flatly. She glanced at Pema and asked, although it was stated as a phrase, "Pema, is it?"

The look in Pema's eyes showed that she did in fact know that Lin knew her name beforehand but she nodded, blankly.

_Now I won't be able to do this anymore._

Lin looked back at her icily, eyelids narrowed and eyebrows up and said, "I will remember that."

Lin turned back without her daily kiss on Tenzin's cheek, and walked as straightly and fluidly as she could, until the reached the metal linings from the island to the mainland. Lin hooked her metal rope onto the lining and rocketed across the bay, not looking back, and staring up at only the light of the moon.

At headquarters, she made a light joke- so unlike her!- about lacking sleep before she collapsed onto the metal bed near Saikhan, Song, Loa, and Sirah and fell into a dreamless sleep.

**This chapter, except for the argument, couldn't write itself. Although a lot of the Fire Nation princess did, and I'm probably going to put her in earlier than I planned.**

**It took me 10 hours (well I was sleeping for most of that) to figure out how to update the chapter**

**So I was thinking, how much do the police do in Republic City? We see them arrest some TTT members after Korra dealt with them. The population is obviously terrified of the Triads and yet we haven't seen the police do anything against them. In episode 6, OK they got tricked, but it showed how much political authority they have. Episode 7, again tricked but in the last 10 minutes or so, it became survival of the fittest. And I'm sorry but Lin's quote on the avatar wiki: what just benders? Not nonbenders too? Only the bending population? Not people? I love Lin and her character but she is rather biased towards benders in this situation. In episode 8, they obviously have political authority, and they should have seen Tarrlok's political machinations. And then in episode 9, well they were tricked. Again. In episode 10, survival of the fittest, the Equalists adapted, they didn't, and the city fell to ruins. And ranting over. PS, I love Lin but this is the one part that I hope I can sort of solve/ address in this fanfic, of how much do the police do for the population? Hopefully we do find out in season 2.**

**Anyway, can anyone tell me what OTP and OOC means?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

**This was much easier to write, what held me up was watching the Golden Compass. Disclaimer: I only own the original characters and nothing else. About story: I want to create contrasts and comparisons between different characters and situations. Oh and I pronounce Reoh: Ray-Oh not Rio. Haha Rio Olympics. Anyway stage to story.**

Night operations were reputedly a risky operation, always done with extreme carefulness that was hard to reach. They weren't naturally subtle or indiscernible, and the absence of the sun left something in Reoh... lacking. This operation was to be handled with delicacy, robbing Republic City's International Bank, they had become short on funds and this was a reimbursement strategy.

Reoh huffed out fire into his freezing arms, the spring air was cool without the crisp sun warming it, and Reoh sighed ever so quietly, not making eye contact with the four others in the group. Within a few minutes, they would be in the Bank, and in the next minutes they would be out if it.

Reoh had volunteered for this because of the Black Dragon, Komovan, one of the leaders of the Triads, with power upon power that Reoh could only dream of. He hadn't suggested for Reoh to go, but Reoh did and that spark of pride fueled his drive to help his Triad.

Three flashes of lights from the fourth floor of the impressive Western Earth Kingdom style building, signaled the start of the operation, and the ten firebenders filed in by twos through the side door, a brief flicker of Malu's fire confirmed the disabling of the security, masked though. Reoh had approximately three seconds to admire Sho's handiwork with the security system, the Police Force and Protected Buildings were notorious, perhaps even rising to infamous, for their tight security. Reoh filed in, keeping two fingers in the air at ready, night cops were, however low their bending prowess, a nuisance and a witness to gang activity.

Reoh spread into the shadow pressing the small of his back against air, not wall, a habit forced from years of being trained not to touch anything containing skin cells to walls. Now the only skin showing was around his eyes and nose, the shiver of the shadow draining only a little of Reoh's heat of breath. He had to quickly remind himself that he had voluntarily requested to lead this raid, as the last under Kwang had resulted in, the Agni Kai Triad raids under him had often resulted in botched attempts and police interference, again a nuisance but not a tragedy.

Gold bars. Stacks and stacks. Reoh remembered for a bittersweet second of the childhood forced out of him, or rather, what he had forfeited. A vault, glass doors led to that, the treasure, treasure that would keep those less loyal paid. Three beeps of the security detector assured that the coast was clear, and another two declared a lack of security.

Reoh pressed his fingers against the glass, and watched two others, Leah and Soren, a brother and sister who had barely reached the age of eighteen, mime his own gestures. Reoh breathed slowly and summoned flames to his finger tips.

The glass quickly melted away, dripping slight streams and burning more. Soon, a modest hole was created and Hava poured the bucket of water on it. Reoh stepped aside and Leah and Soren clambered through the hole, delicately and they put on black gloves, with the symbol of the Golden Tremblers on them (oh if one were dropped, what trouble it would put on the rival Triad!). Reoh half wished that they would drop one of the gloves but rethought the command lingering in his throat.

Two elongated high-pitched beeps. _This isn't part of the..._

Reoh felt drops of searing cold water go down his back and turned around quickly. Five people, Reoh took his own breath away. They were staring, all hooded in a cloth colored a dark shade, although it was black in the lacking of light.

Reoh lit his hands, the orange flame revealed nothing. The figures were gone. Reoh's heart felt torn out of his chest with his ragged breathing that matched if not surpassed Soren's.

A water whip hurtled at him out of nowhere, and Reoh ducked in time for his heart to avoid it, but not his arm. A gasp of pain, his and the others signaled an onrush of blood.

Reoh lit his hands and fired several blasts around him, briefly illuminating a figure before it ducked out. Waterbender.

"Come out into the open," Reoh called out, and heard a swish of a cloak to his right.

He shot the charging stream of fire, elongating the orange flame to last five seconds, hot air converting into fire. The figure put up an ice shield which shattered immediately.

Definitely waterbenders. Who?

Reoh roared a ring of flame around him, illuminating everything within five feet of him. He mouthed "go" to Baras, who had the gold bars, and he sprinted out leaving no trail of smoke behind. None of the hooded figures followed and Reoh quickly breathed a sigh of relief. The money would come back to the Dragons, and then all the kids who were rescued by then and are still in training would be paid and maybe better food would sneak its way in...

Reoh fired two streams of flame at the two closest figures lighting everything up. The fire alarm sounded- delayed effect was it?- and Reoh scrambled to the exit but was stopped.

The face came into view and it would have taken Reoh's breath away if he had any time to pay attention to it. Later he would remember it as beautiful and carved, high cheekbones, and gorgeous dark blue eyes, a color Reoh could only call as "midnight ocean" and everything was perfect of her features.

But nevertheless, Reoh through out a punch and felt a tingling sensation throw it sideways, The woman's arm was out sideways and quickly moving to his face. Reoh blocked it with one arm and kicked with his leg, a tiny nearly invisible flame conjured only just in time. The woman swerved sideways and Reoh's leg kicked air, now heated air.

She hurled water at him, but smooth and graceful, the curve of her back arched with the water. Reoh hurled a fire whip back at her, but it missed its mark.

"Reoh let's go!" he heard a female voice, Leah, call out, and fire- a heartbeat not his own- sent out at the woman, Reoh paired it and the woman just ducked in time.

Reoh wildly took a glance around, heart beating faster than it should, and ran out, trailing fire behind to stop the hooded figures. Leah and Soren opened the door, and sent out blasts- but weak ones, Reoh was the only master firebender among them- and Reoh sprint out the door,

Heartbeats behind his back-

Reoh swivels around-

A knife to his throat-

No bending, the figure is no longer hooded-

Old features, scarred, but strong-

And a pendant, in plain full view, red and very distinctly water tribe-

He presses the knife to his throat-

What would Komovan do?-

Reoh takes a deep breath waiting for nothing

And then he stops.

And time follows.

And then the man smirks and removes the knife and leaves.

Only when they get back to headquarters eyeing bars of gold does Reoh gain a suspicion- only a little one- of who had attacked them.

TWO DAYS LATER

The ruling three of the Agni Kai Triad were called by Dragon. The Black Dragon was Komovan, his fire was white, but his soul not, reputedly. He had conducted the infamous raid on the Sato Mansion only three years ago, and a tattoo on his back, in the shape of a gentle rose wilting black honored that achievement. Reoh wanted that, wanted a tattoo so desperately honoring a famed achievement. The White Dragon was old and humble, but added a necessary touch of passion when needed, but only when needed, his firebending prowess above average, adept in mass attacks. The Blue Dragon was perhaps the weakest in firebending but a tactical protege, and every successful coup in the past fifteen years were planned by him. Reoh was directly under him.

Not one of them possessed blue fire, Komovan and the White Dragon neared it, but the skill and precision to achieve that elluded them. Only one person currently alive was able to command blue fire, the Fire Nation Princess Leaza, a reputedly hotheaded and immature eleven year old who had tricked half of Ba Sing Se into believing she was a water tribe peasant.

"This meeting is now being called into order to discuss the robbing of the Republic City Bank and the subsequent events. Present at this meeting are the Dragons, Orange Dragons Reoh, Chong, and Soula, and joining are Technician Malu and Level 3's Leah and Soren and Barus. Komovan?" Xu finished his traditional starting prompt and introduction, and Reoh straightened his back.

Komovan was the most senior, he had been a Dragon the longest, a total of 20 years, nearly half of the middle aged man's life.

Komovan asked Reoh to explain and give a report of what happened and the Black and Blue Dragon seconded him.

Reoh complied and explained everything in the tiniest detail not forgetting to add in nuances and appearance. The time passed before he knows it, the tall but stiff grandfather clock ticking away time.

"Who did it?" the Blue Dragon voiced the question on every mind. Reoh swallowed.

"We don't know," Reoh spoke out and then swiftly revised, "The attackers were lacking in any identifying traits."

"Are you sure?" the White Dragon softly asked and Reoh nodded.

What happened after, all Reoh would remember were blurs of fire and water.

The windows broke, the office was high up close to the sun, and out of the authority's eyes, and seven figures flooded in.

Reoh's breath caught in his throat, _same cloaks._

He quickly hurled as much lightning as he could but something weakens his joints all the while, and it comes out in a long stream but only a shock wave. The seven dodge it and Reoh doesn't have time to change its direction.

Komovan shone his hands and charged his attacks and then fired, powerful, comparable to even Leaza's, what Reoh knew of her, but they dodged and weaved through the attacks, as if fire were foam balls and they were playing a game.

Reoh let out another attack, but the same weakness took over and he summoned all of his strength to not fall over onto the floor.

The White Dragon made his way to Reoh manipulating a fire shield around him and motioned for Reoh to go.

Reoh mouthed "no" but felt himself getting dragged out.

_Everyone else. What about them? I can't face them. _Neither can Komovan, Reoh saw Komovan's hands get tied up, the fight, it couldn't even be called a fight, had ended and Reoh was using the newfound energy from the sun to rocket himself down to the park below along with the White Dragon.

When they landed the world stood still and Reoh cast everything out of his head. _My Triad. My men and women, innocent people as well. I fled. I left them to die._

"It was the Red Monsoon Triad," Reoh said with a start.

"What?" Komovan nearly yelled and the nearby- making out- couple looked up and Reoh's cheeks burned.

"They were the ones. I remember a pendant on one of them, and it's the same cloaks, the pendant it's red and it's a water tribe symbol," the words tumbled out of him fast and furious, the latter bearly contained.

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Komovan was calm, oh so calm, and the hairs of Reoh's neck- of all things!- stood straight up.

"What will happen to the Triad?" Reoh asked breathlessly, sweating even on a cool day, and he looked up to the sun desperately half expecting to see it holding a pina colada and wearing sunglasses, so delirious was he.

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Komovan repeated voice edging to steel.

"I didn't know I didn't remember, oh we were fools!"

"Yes we were, utter fools, Reoh" Komovan said sadly.

"Are we going to go back? Are we going to rebuild it, not everyone can be gone the hideouts are nowhere near the office, oh let's go back," Reoh streamed out breathlessly.

"No we can't," the Black Dragon looked defeated for once, the spark in his black eyes gone, the burning spark that had made him so successful.

"Then let's go to the authorities! We know who is behind this attack and they can't let innocent citizens get hurt, and they are probably behind the restaurant case, the one that neither us or the Tremblers could figure out," Reoh streamed out more, losing his breath, hyperventilating.

"We can't," when Reoh was about to respond why, Komovan looked to the side, the couple was gone and then he shouted, "Because the government doesn't care about us, we made more trouble than they and we can count, and so what if some of us were killed or harmed or kidnapped, well that's life and that's good for them, some players in Republic City's crime got knocked out maybe we can hope for a general decrease in overall crime rate as well!" the clouds opened up and rain poured down, the sun swallowed, and the weakness returned, it hadn't left really. "Because we don't matter to the authorities.

"Because we are blamed for making a turn somewhere that took us to this place, and we can connect everything back to them, not everyone is born a hard worker, not everyone is born witha job serviceable to the city, hell, people are still terrified of every firebender, no matter if we aren't those people, and some people aren't born to get great grades in school or the son of the Avatar, or the Avatar. Although the Avatar's duty is hard enough, and I can respect that."

"Komovan," Reoh said slowly but desperately. "We can try to set things right, and we were only trying to do right with the people under us."

"Reoh, this city labels, and it uses people and then throws it away. When power passes it passes and only the legacy remains."

Oh Reoh would never make himself a hero in Komovan's eyes or mind, he was a bumbling idiot right now not seeing eye to eye with his superior and not acknowledging or humbling himself. Of all the things that Reoh would allow himself to care about, that was the only one.

Komovan stopped, face ragged and scarred but wise beyond what his years should be, several hundred more. Reoh searched wildly, breath frayed in the center and edges. Slowly Komovan spoke, everything melting from his face. "You are young Reoh, and you may still have time, to leave something behind. One day you will understand what I'm saying, but now you are too young."

Reoh opened his mouth to respond saying that he wasn't too young, that he was a good 25 years old, and certainly not a child. But before he could utter a word, Komovan left slowly at first, but gaining speed, and he walked out of the park and into the city.

The next morning the newspapers reported an Agni Kai Triad disturbance subsequently followed by the passing of one of its leaders, the apparent leader of the Sato Mansion break in. The body washed up onto the shore of Yue Bay with no signs of struggle.

Reoh left himself to the rain.

**Well. Chapter over. This was my favorite one to write so far, I will probably revisit Reoh much later. And I'm not a fan of asking questions about the next chapters so you can think of questions yourself. But seriously this was an easy and fun, not in the kid way, to write. **

**And what would you guys like more sooner (not necessarily in the next chapter, but a revised order of chapters), Linzin/Pemzin details or more on the Red Monsoon Triad? I'm planning on putting Leaza in after Linzin break up basically to make Lin's life hell and then make it better with cute childhood innocence. Not. By the way you can think of the specifics of what happened in Ba Sing Se using your fruitful imaginations. Because its going to be mentioned by (spoiler!... ish) by Zuko, the FireLady Ursa, and Leaza's brother and a lot of people. **

**Bye till I write the next chapter which I will try to make soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I didn't know where to go with this but I decided to keep the pattern I planned and I want to add, please, please review! With constructive criticism; it makes my day.**

**This is a very Linzin-centric chapter, and I'm not very good with sob moments so beware. Over 4,000 words, my first time!**

**I own nothing that you have seen in the TLOK and corresponding material.**

Chapter 4:

The next morning, Lin had a morning off of work, something that only happened once every two weeks but was mandatory. The previous Police Chief, the one directly preceding Lin named Huan, had made sure that everyone had obligatory time off of work, for personal time and a break. Lin mentally cursed him and the rule that dictated that whatever changes she made to these kinds of rules would only be enacted when the next Police Chief came to be, most likely Saikhan.

That morning, only four hours long was her official break time, she decided to spend it Air Temple Island, Tenzin greeted her as soon as she scampered off the ferry, as always ready to kiss the ground.

"Hello Lin," he greeted warmly, the words melting the part of Lin that was romantic, kissing her on the lips, but apprehensively, Lin rolled her eyes. She looked around, and saw the slim figures of Air Acolytes tending to the surrounding gardens, scarcely blooming in the lilting air. Some of them giggled, all were young, figures swaying to the wind, as was no doubt taught and instilled.

As was every time that she had the morning off, she would come to Air Temple Island, the blissful getaway opened its arms for her.

"Well?" Tenzin asked, not unkindly.

Lin stirred her eyes to the Air Acolytes, gaze sharpening when the little kid named Pema looked up at them.

"This," she whispered into his ear and kissed him smack on, passionately, lips intertwining. Lin kept her eyes open as did Tenzin, and in his eyes was confusion, confusion that ate at Linzin's heart.

When Lin looked back, Pema was staring down at the mop, and tickling the metal sole on her feet confirmed the increase in heart rate. Good.

Tenzin caught her gaze, and also stared back at her.

"It's nothing Lin," he quickly said, and something in her heart was put to rest, but she didn't check if he was lying. She laid her head on Tenzin's shoulder, just tall enough to be able to rest there, under the crisp sun. For a moment, the time crystallized, the spring leaves unusually softening Lin, before remembering that spring was her month, the month of her original element, earth.

Tenzin put his arm around her, and Lin nestled closely, as if she were a child.

"Master Tenzin?" Lin almost groaned out loud, as a result of the sickly sweet voice.

"Yes Pema?"

_Deja vu._

"May we have a break?" Pema turned red at the sight of Lin staring up- only a few inches- contemptuously, but Lin could barely keep the sigh of relief from escaping.

"Isn't working hard a useful skill to have?" Lin asked innocently, and Pema turned bright red.

"Yes, Pema you may," Tenzin dismissed stiffly and looked down at Lin. Lin tensed, ready for the reprimanding.

"Must you do that?" he gently asked.

Lin bumbled about an excuse about getting back to work, heat spreading to her cheeks- in "honor" of Pema, and Tenzin rushed to say that he had a meeting with the City Council, which Lin knew he normally cancelled on her day offs. The break in the relationship was only another off an already torn mirror.

Tenzin didn't offer her a ride back on his glider, a sentiment he had shared when they were children, but stopped when Lin came toting metal.

And the ride back over the churning water was the same as ever, detestable.

Lin wished he would have offered.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Triad disturbance- it's the Tremblers, down at City Hall," Saikhan told her, while striding forward, desperately trying to keep up with Lin's pace.

Lin paused for a second than stopped and stared at Saikhan hardly. _Tenzin. _"We're taking the zeppelin."

Saikhan nodded and scurried to round up officers, Lin made her way up to the Helipad, gathering Loa, Sirah, and Song, quickly briefing them on the little detail she knew, all the while using their ropes to get them up faster.

She boarded the zeppelin, officers falling in place behind, as did arriving Saikhan with Tai, a young and new officer who preferred earthbending while on ground, and two others who Lin didn't recognize, most likely new recruits.

"Experience," was Saikhan's one worded explanation. His eyes, in the position to be rolled, dictated what would happen, he, Sirah, Loa, Song, and Lin would come in and bust the Tremblers with relative ease, while giving the newbies experience and perhaps a little action.

The zeppelin arrived before Lin had time to think out her plans, a sign of her head buzzing, not a good state to be in battle.

The metalbenders stormed in, subsequently after the cars crashed in. Lin could almost hear Tenzin yell, "Lin this is why we can't keep nice things wherever you are!"

Her eye first found the five council members, tied up in the front of the table, Lin spotted some of the members trying to use their bending off. Lin's heart filled with rage at the sight of Tenzin gagged up and hands behind his back.

Lin felt a tiny breeze along her cheek, and locked eyes with Tenzin. He nodded twice, ever so subtly, and Lin figured he was trying to force the no doubt earth handcuffs off.

There were fifteen of them, a sign of overall group cohesiveness and even deployment of power, aside from the five standing in front of the ten-person line.

Seven on fifteen, eight if Tenzin forced his way out.

"Let's make a deal," the lead one suggested, the middle one of the five in front said, a lilting laughter only barely transparent through her voice.

"What kind?" Lin entertained, while slowly moving one of her ropes out, and opening one of her soles. Female earthbenders were uncommon but powerful, a statistic garnered from a recent genetic study.

"You let us keep the Council members," she pointed to the five, finger lavishly caressing air. "And we will tell you information that you want."

The ten behind wore the regular Trembler outfit, typical southern Earth Kingdom, with dark grey edges instead of the yellow Lin and many other of her officers had grown up with. They had to be strong enough, taking on City Hall with its many guards and security (compromised of streety units). Sirah, Loa, and Song would take care of those, and the newbies would be placed in the place of exits.

"What information?" Lin's ears sparked up at the offer, however typical.

There were four, the main door, two side doors, and the roof, an unlikely escape method for an earthbenders, and they had tested the Zeppelin's motion detecting weapons on the Trembler Triad nine months before.

"Of the recent attacks."

Earthbenders had flawless memories.

Lin glanced sideways at Saikhan, he shook his head "no" slightly.

"And how would this information be of any use to us?" Lin stopped herself from adding the obvious- lying caution.

"Oh it will be."

Saikhan and Lin would be against the five standing in front. Lin quickly evaluated them, four carried a supportive weapon, hooked swords, sledgehammers, nunchuks, and Dai Li style gloves. The last was probably a rogue from the Fire Nation Royal Palace. And the woman stood weaponless

"Any guarantee of that?" Lin was secretly grateful for Sokka's lessons on negotiation, but the dance of words were still a foreign ground her.

"You will find out for yourselves," the female said, and Lin felt her dig the ball of her foot into the ground as far as it would go.

"No deal," Lin said loudly enough for the entire hall to hear. The four beside the woman moved their weapons into position and as did the ten behind.

Lin signaled the instructions with her hands, subtly, and without movement of the rest of her body, the others slowly moved into position, with the exception of the newbies who strode fast to their assigned spots.

Lin stomped a chunk of the floor up, the medium sized rock at head-level and waited before three boulders came at her, she and her team dodged them expertly.

The fight began.

Lin lunged to the side, and uncurled her ropes, lashing it out strongly at the one with sledgehammers, wrapped him tightly, slung him to the side, to the direction of one of the newbies, and released the ropes. Three of the backups came after her, and Lin focused on them, her foot confirming that Saikhan had gone after those with the swords.

A boulder came fast out of the corner of her sight, although the sender was quickly neutralized by Sirah. Lin dodged the boulder, waiting until it was only two inches away, and sent a bronze-metal bullet from inside her thigh sockets whizzing in that direction, as a second one was there as backup.

Behind her, the normal sound of nunchuks came and, Lin turned around, lashing out at her rope, at the same time as Nunchuks went for her.

Lin gasped and crumpled on the ground, holding on to her arm hard. Saikhan looked to her, wild in his eyes, and Lin shook her head trying to convey for him to not stop fighting. He feinted right and went left straight for Nunchuks, who was seemingly guarding Lin, a position abandoned, digging up a section of the earth before punching it into the Nunchuk's face.

She rolled over to her side, clutching her arm, and noticing the blood streaming from her fingertips, the metal cut straight through. A figure neared her, with sledgehammers, and blood pooled in her mouth and vision. He leveled several boulders up, and Lin slammed her bloodied hand on the ground, bringing up a wall of earth up. Slamming the boulders and the man, to what Lin strained to see, the ceiling.

Lin's jaw was left hanging, and as the wall slammed itself out, the Triad's signature Tremble rang out, the source a certain metalbending cop.

The male with the hook swords stumbled backwards, near the door, and Tai slammed him to the wall, using the fullest extent of his rope. Two of the backups, as Lin had dubbed the ten that stood behind the five, went with him, an jagged earthen tears, and Lin brought herself up and hurled tiny rocks at him.

Lin hooked her non-throbbing arm's rope to the ceiling's wires and pulled herself up, suppressing the pain in her arm, and brought the earthen chunk in the wall out for Lin to jump down on. She stood up and held her palms outwards, summoning a Tenzin's head-sized rock to come whizzing from the floor as fast as she could. Two quick movements in her wrist split the rocks into a two dozen tiny bullets, screaming at high velocity at the eight coming for Loa, who was backed up in the corner, Loa caught the message and erected a barrier around her, the bullets tore up the ground, and blood replaced it next.

She took a deep breath, stilled her throbbing arm which had become painfully clear, and jumped down to the ground, the earth skidding back into place.

The fight was as good as over, all of them were tied up near several officers. Lin counted them from her nice vantage point.

Only thirteen. There were fifteen. Lin counted the others, all eight officers, including her, and the five council members were being untied by Song. Lin saw Tenzin say "thank you."

Lin counted again, and again only fifteen.

She took a deep breath and stomped her foot on the ground, and nausea immediately overwhelmed her, she had forgotten to close her eyes. Lin steadied herself against a column, and stomped her foot back into the floor, sinking it a number of inches down, and again thirteen.

The woman and the Dai Li agent were gone.

Lin recounted and her breath was taken away, only twelve, at which Lin loudly groaned, and whipped her metal ropes out a short foot away from her, in ready position, Lin slid open the sole part of her foot.

A vibration coursed through her foot and Lin swiveled around and saw the nunchuks whizzing to her heart, her mind running at a much slower pace than her body. Her armor metalbent out into a sharp blade and it somehow found it's mark in his throat. The body crumpled down, the nunchuks sliding away. Lin stared until the evanescent heartbeat slowed to a stop.

She looked at Tenzin, and his mouth was hanging open, something Lin couldn't resist smirking at. Lin walked over to her officers asked if they were alright, to which she got "yes" as answers and informed Saikhan off the disappearance of the woman and the Dai Li agent. Tenzin walked over to her and gestured out, and said "The Island." The grittiness in his voice provided enough motivation for Lin.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Not a minute was spared once Lin stepped off the boat and Tenzin.

"Lin, we're done," Tenzin stated flatly, Lin gaped, heart beat rising to unreal levels.

"What do you mean we're done!" Lin caught her breath in her throat, and searched wildly for something to place her hand on. "We've been together for many years!"

"And now we are done," he continued saying.

The words tore something out of Lin's heart, to the point of something in her throat rising up.

"Lin you killed someone!" Tenzin screamed at her, face rapidly turning purple. He must have suppressed it during the ride

"Yes I did, so what?" Lin could barely mask the tremble in her voice, tears rising to her eyes, _tears be damned. _

This was by far not the first time she had killed someone in the process of her job. The first time she had been affected, enough to take a three-day leave off of her job, before her mother dragged her by the hair back to the station. Afterwards, it felt normal, but Tenzin never saw her do so.

"You should know that all life is sacred!" Lin's hearted beat rapidly in response.

"Their life is not sacred, they have disobeyed the laws, some many times over and I found a new use for our metalbending uniforms!"

"Just because they made several mistakes and got sucked into the Triads does not guarantee absolute death."

"As opposed to partial death?" Lin smirked and added on, "Court has determined that I will not be held accountable for this death therefore you shouldn't be lecturing me about this!"

"That man might have had a loved one and children, and a life, and you took it away!"

Lin remembered Tenzin's reaction when his brother had first wanted to join the United Forces, it mirrored this argument.

"That man, if what you are saying is in any way right, knew that he had a wife and children and he had continued doing his job which was always at high risk," Lin calmly replied.

"Lin you took something from the world on instinct! On instinct! We don't know who that man is and we never will, and we don't know how he got into the position he did! What if being part of the Triads was his only way of getting an income and you know how high the better benders are paid!"

Lin flinched, income in Triads, or Triads' dominance on the streets were a sore subject for her.

"Anyone who breaks the law and attacks the official police force is subject to either jail-time or injury or even death if caused in battle, and if the opposing force attacked first," Lin recited. "A law you made yourself."

"Lin this isn't about laws or rules or proper society," Tenzin's voice quieted to a whisper. Lin half-wished that Pema would interrupt, she had a way of replacing one kind of tension with another. "This is about that you took a man's life without hesitating and you are not thinking of who he was and what you took away without thinking."

"I don't care, I've done it before and if someone threatens my team or my friends I will do it again!" Lin shrieked into the air.

A gust of wind knocked her back onto the training pavilion, forcing the breath out of her as she landed hard on her hip and her injured arm. Lin looked to see if the trees rocking with heavy breeze but all there was, was Tenzin with his palm outstretched.

Never had Tenzin airbent at her, outside of sparring matches. Never. Lin sluggishly got up, and Tenzin's face was one with pure shock.

All that spoke was silence, and it sung a mournful song, screeching to Lin's buzzing ears. She shuddered slightly and took a deep breath, calming her already heaving breath.

"Tenzin, I'm not doing this anymore," she looked up, refusing to smash a boulder into his head. A ball rose to her throat and Lin tried to furiously swallow it down.

"No Lin, we can still work something out!" Tenzin fumbled for his words, a gesture Lin had for such a long time found adorable. "Lin don't!"

Lin latched her cable onto the metal wires ranging from the island to the mainland and tugged it a little, Tenzin opened his mouth to say more.

"Lin I love you!" he tried again desperately. _Say anything else and I won't be able to stop myself._

"Pema loves you," by the look of sheer astonishment on Tenzin's face, Lin could tell that Pema had indeed told Tenzin she loved him, the _bitch. _The ball in her throat started boiling and Tenzin opened his mouth to try to form a response. "And you love her."

"Lin, that's not true!" he yelled after her, but the way his eyebrows slanted upwards indicated the opposite, Lin blinked back tears furiously, watching Tenzin. She longed not to go, to throw herself into his arms and sob into his arms, and pretend that nothing was wrong, she loved him and he loved her back, and that he wasn't trying to break up with her, _his childhood friend, _because of a little kid.

She pulled herself up on to the metal wires, briefly finding comfort in the coldness and muted heartbeat, her element, and flew across the bay. When she launched herself down to the ground, something bruises in her wrist but Lin ignored it, the first time Lin had flown was with Tenzin, on his glider, when she was still his and he was still hers.

In the middle of onlooking traffic, Lin Beifong stood, trying to swallow tears. Lin ran to the headquarters, not looking back to where her lover, _not hers, Pema's, _used to wait for her nearly every dinner.

The headquarters came late, after her run through the city. Lin hazily remembered knocking several people aside, black hair streaming in her peripheral vision, but the boiling tears didn't make their way down Lin's cheeks. She put a hand to her face, then slowly removed it, refusing to let the tears flow.

She walked into the headquarters, focusing on making her stride even and face blank.

Officer Song walked into the space beside her and started talking, "Aside from today's conflict at City Hall, an Agni Kai leader was found dead, their was no sign of struggle, the autopsy has said death by drowning. Also..."

Lin shook off the daze in her head, and realized with a start that Song had been talking to her, "Sorry, what?"

"He was the one to commit the raid on the Sato mansion three years ago," Song hesitated visibly and his face trembled, while Lin could barely keep confusion from spreading over her face.

"He who?" Lin asked.

"The Agni Kai leader," Lin's face remained the same, confused. "The one found dead." Song stared into Lin's eyes, and Lin trembled with the thought of him seeing tears in the glass green eyes. "I'll give a report to Saikhan."

Song scampered down the hallway and Lin watched furiously. _Did I really scare him?_

A sob bubbled in her mouth, and Lin scampered the other direction into her office. She metalbent the door open and slammed it back.

Lin stared for a moment at her office, the warmth of the metal comforting momentarily, she collapsed into her chair, and started looking through the pile of reports. _Nothing happened. Nothing happened. Nothing happened..._

Lin's weary eyes traveled along her desk, noticing a tear-filled glance stare up at her and then something not metal or paper caught her eye.

Lin drew in a quick, shuddering breath, it was a picture of her and Tenzin on Air Temple island, a day Lin strangely didn't remember. Avatar Aang's statue was in the background, and it was in an area of a secluded cliff, the place for only her and Tenzin, and Lin was smiling. Actually smiling. Lin tried mirroring the expression of Picture Lin but it didn't work. She rarely smiled, and if she did it was more out of sarcasm than anything, and she only did for the people who deserved it.

She lost Tenzin. She lost everything, she lost her love and her mother so close to each other the two people who had mattered the most to her.

Lin smashed the picture onto the floor, the glass shattering onto unyielding metal, the picture tore via intervention by Lin. Lin bowed her head into her arms and slowly massaged the area around her eyes, refusing to let

_I have my job and I have Republic City, and I have my team. And whoever is creating the problems withing the Triads is going to be very, very sorry_.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

**Second out of my three times of saying this: please review!**

**Also I noticed how little Republic City was expanded, which is why it's much easier for me to write about the Triads, although it would be nice to have gotten a frame of the Triads and their interaction, I feel like TLOK focused too much on the Equalists/pro-bending/romance that Republic City itself was shoved apart. I cared more about Lin than I did about Republic City getting blown up, I was still sad about the civilians and stuff but as they were never expanded and Republic City was never made dynamic as we primarily got the POVs of the very upper class/ pro benders to make it dynamic. Gommu was an exception although he seemed a bit unrealistic and I just can't follow his personality, unlike Mako's.**

**By the way it occurred to me to say this, I don't hate Pema and I don't dislike her. And I don't hate or dislike Pemzin, Linzin belongs in the past, Pemzin is in the present and I think it's a very beautiful and caring relationship that goes both ways.**

**Oh and I always rant at the end of chapters, it's sort of a habit.**

**I found this gorgeous page on google with photoshopped eyes, there are some gorgeous ones like with clocks, and ice. I'm using one for my title page, what do you think of it? I edited it on Google+ so it's mine-ish**

**Rant over, again PLEASE REVIEW.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry I haven't updated in a while, I couldn't really get myself to write this until today. Oh and caution, there are sexual references if you squint, but its subtle (I think). **

**And I was motivated to edit this because of a review (thank you!) so this is a re-upload. I should just really edit it since I have the time, and I tend to make grammar errors while writing. **

**I'm going to London tomorrow, I will have a computer there but chances are I won't update till I get bacl.**

**Again, please, please review.**

Chapter 5:

"So the Tremblers know," Kavak stated. His eyes gazed off far into the future, Nakalia could almost see the gears turning for accommodation of the current circumstances. Nakalia looked up from the security footage which Teresa edited, fingers dancing around the keyboard to remove all traces of Nakalia, her shadows and the tiny sweeps of the midnight blue cloak each one of them wore when "going out." who quite old but only noticeable through her eyes: they held a thousand years, removed all traces of Nakalia, her own shadows in the footage of the camera, and tiny sweepings into the light of the soft blue cloak Nakalia had come to love.

"No, Sahna was bluffing and bluffing well," Nakalia responded airily, twirling condensed air, powdery and misty, in between her stretched out fingers.

"And you are sure no one saw you," the question was more of a statement, and said as such.

"People don't see what they aren't expecting to see. You should know that, Kavak," Nakalia stated, sliding her eyelids slightly down and tilting her head, and slightly pursing the center of her lips.

"Nakalia, enough," the words only earned Kavak another simpering glare, and Nakalia imagined him saying that trees have to blink, as he had when she had been a child and he a teenager. "Are you sure Sahna knows nothing," repeated clarification was a rather annoying habit of his, Nakalia had grown up with it.

"Certain, Sahna has no spies within our ranks, and she knows too little of our attacks," Nakalia trailed off there, and let the other four contemplate more reasons.

"What about the Agni Kai Triad? And the councilman?" Saskia piped up, wide blue eyes blinking rapidly with just spoken questions. Nakalia rolled her eyes, staring away from the woman even younger than her. Nakalia noticed the red flush climbing to Saskia's hair roots, ah the girl was worried over what she knew little of.

"The Agni Kai Triad is crippled, you saw it happen after all," Nakalia smirked in her direction, Saskia lowered her eyes and pursed her lower lip up, Kavak sighed and shook his head. "And the councilmen weren't killed after all, or harmed other than terrible, terrible rope burns," Nakalia rolled her eyes and continued. "Fine, I'll see them tomorrow, oh by the way, Teresa, you intercepted the hawk, right?"

Teresa nodded, the straight stare bored into Nakalia's, she suddenly tried to hide the shiver sent down her spine.

Silence settled itself over the room, and Nakalia nestled herself comfortly into it, vaguely waiting for someone to offer words. If she had less than half a mind, she would have used her childlike tendencies to fidget and ask if she were there yet, despite the fact that they were going nowhere.

"So what's next on the list?" Saskia piped up. Nakalia pushed herself off the couch, but a warning look from Kavak stopped her.

"Laws passed for us?" Kavak cocked his head to Nakalia who rolled her eyes and exhaled through her nose.

"I'll work on it," fake reluctance bled from Nakalia's voice.

"Well we have some of the power families, and we are soon to be in perfect position," Kavak shifted himself and made eye contant with each of the other four in the room.

Silence reigned once again, but soon dethroned by Nakalia. "I'm starved for something alcoholic, let's go to a bar."

Everyone but Kalo agreed and they headed for the doorway.

"Nakalia, stay for a moment," Kavak called out and Nakalia stopped in her stride, and nodded to waiting Teresa and Saskia.

The room suddenly swiveled to, yet again, silence, this time stifling, and Kavak opened his mouth, then closed it. Nakalia stared for a second then noticed Kalo, crouching in a corner.

"Out," Nakalia leveled her gaze at him, to which he responded by scurrying to the door. After a pause, she said, "Yes, Kav?"

"Kalia, stop it," Kavak deadpanned.

"Stop what?" Nakalia stared back, widening her eyes in innocence.

"These are your friends, save it for the councilmen," Kavak continued, Nakalia fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nakalia stared straight in front, meeting Kavak's eyes, daring him in her head to find a trace of well hidden lie.

"Well then do gain the knowledge," Kavak walked to the door, Nakalia fixed her gaze on the vase. Kavak turned back to her, "No one likes those who use and throw away."

Nakalia let a laugh escape, "And what do you mean by that?"

"You are proving my point," Kavak sighed and shook his head.

Nakalia exhaled through clenched teeth, "Kavak if there is something you would like to say, say it. Don't dance around the issue like a dancing fool."

"I suggest you go to the councilmen," after a pause he added, "Don't come to the bar."

Kavak opened the door he had been standing so long beside and turned back. Nakalia was taken aback by the certain glint in his eyes, was it... begging? Condescending?

"Just admit you are wrong," he gushed out.

"Wrong about what," Nakalia's voice flattened.

"The way you treat people," Kavak's voice lost all plasticity to it, and Nakalia felt her fingers crushing the flowers in the vase.

"And if I didn't where would we be?" Kavak shook his head at her words and left the room, muttering something under his breath.

Nakalia shook her head and made up her mind to see the councilmen. She picked up her cloak from the couch, which lay among three others then dropped it. Nakalia uncurled a tendril of water from the vase and opened the wardrobe door with it. The water moved back into place with a flick of her wrist. A beige trench cover soon fastened around her.

She adjusted her hair so it flowed over her shoulders, the black ink-colored strands flowing free. Nakalia started for the door on the other side of the room, but quickly paused and applied eyeliner. Another blink and Nakalia left for her not particularly lengthy walk.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The house stood in the suburbs of Republic City, where green lawns hadn't given way to souring skyscrapers and brushed politics.

"It's Nastia," Nakalia said to the plump waitress at the open door. She nodded and stepped aside, revealing the well-traversed path along the Earth Kingdom symbol on the floor. Nakalia lingered there for a few moments, before heading straight up the gold-adorned staircase. Nakalia paused at the top of the stairwell and briefly picked off the ruby on banister, and pushed the water back into her bracelet.

She walked to the open door in the study and lightly tapped on the door, smiling slightly.

"Oh, Nastia," Laong greeted, looking up at her, face immediately breaking into a smile.

"Laong," Nakalia caressed his name with her tongue, leaning down to kiss him lightly next to his lips. Nakalia widened her eyes and simpered without standing straight up, "What's wrong?"

"The Tremblers attacked this week at City Hall," Laong grimaced. "The security failed."

"Are all the council members all right?" Nakalia pressed her lips together in worry, eyebrows arching up.

"Yes, the police arrived in time," Laong sighed and looked up at her, eyes begging fulfillment to the silent question.

Nakalia nodded and shrugged one shoulder up. "We will think of a solution later." She leaned back down to kiss him, this time on the lips, hands caressing the side of his stubble-roughened face, soft skin melding with her own pale fingers.

Half an hour later, Laong and Nakalia lay beside each other in the darkening bedroom, the shades on the windows were pulled close. Nakalia stilled her still heaving breath. Nakalia intertwined her fingers into his rough ones and turned over. "Why don't you suggest several laws to be passed against the Triads? There is only so much of a problem they can be."

"Oh I wish, but since the Agni Kai Triad went under," common words for defeat, "the Tremblers have taken the initiative," Laong sighed and shook his head, "and none of the Triads don't care about the laws."

"Why don't you give City Hall and other major city structures security that is geared specifically for earthbending attacks?" Nakalia simpered into his ear. He turned sideways, thick brown hair gleaming from the wandering moonlight. "The Agni Kais are after all under. We could come up with the security detail together, make it as perfect as it possibly could be. And I could give you information to the very core of the Trembler Triad"

He nodded and turned back to Nakalia's, and kissed her in affirmation. She waltzed her hand into his hair and stared successfully into the faraway mirror and pressed into his nude body.

"I'll bring it up at the meeting tomorrow," he smiled at her, and Nakalia stared back as sweetly as she could make herself.

_This is too easy._

Another hour later, the stars were gone and the moon shone bleakly through the clouds, greying the sky. The air, seeping in from the open window, was hot and humid, and beaded on Nakalia's brow.

"When do you have to leave?" Laong whispered into her ear, and Nakalia arched her back, tingles sent down her spine.

"Soon, it looks like a storm is coming. My brother will want me home, it looks like it will storm soon," Nakalia sighed and stared back at Laong. More than anything she wanted to wrap herself around him again, feel his younger flesh around her, and continue living the sweet lie. "And I'm sure whatever Councilman Ryu says you should agree to knowing his... consistency."

"Will you come tomorrow?" Laong asked, eyes already shining with barred hope.

"I'll try," Nakalia honestly said, and sat up. Laong sat up with her, the soft green blanket dropping down to his waist, revealing a well-muscled stomach, but he turned away, looking at his still hands. Nakalia stood up and looked back down at him, trying to make her face as passive as possible, and supressed a shuddering sigh.

She pulled her breast and hip bindings over her body and then came the shirt and pants and then the trench coat. Laong eyed the trench coat, and Nakalia started laughing, this was his way of showing forgiveness.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A storm really had come, torrents fell from the sky, and the streets soon emptied, and puddles were created along the tiny indentations in the road.

The glassy apartment building was obscured by the sleety rain, and Nakalia ducked under the canopy, the humid air prevailing over the rain. Nakalia refrained from brushing the water off of her, and walked in. The doorman groggily looked up from his desk in the side of the giant lobby. The waterfall behind him poured down, creating the impression of being in an actual natural place, not in a glass dome housing some of the most important members in Republic City, including Chief Bei Fong, and who Nakalia was going to see: Councilman Ryu.

"The thirtieth floor," Nakalia told the doorman and he nodded then rested his head back into his arms.

Nakalia stared at the daunting stairs that she so hated and ascended them, cursing Kavak for letting her wheedle her way out of jogging every morning with Teresa and Saskia.

She opened the door, sliding her water into the key lock and forming the contours so familiar to her.

"Ah, hello Saskia," Ryu said, looking up from his straight position on the couch. He looked her over and with a flourish of his hand he swept the water off of her and out the open window.

Nakalia sat down next to him, kicking off her shoes and pressing her damp legs against his.

"What's the paperwork for?" Nakalia purred.

"City Hall was attacked this week by the Tremblers," Nakalia resisted to roll her eyes in annoyance, the whole city must have heard by now.

"And?" Nakalia slid her hand under Ryu's shirt and to his shoulder, aged but still strong and able. He lifted his arms and she reached it off.

Nakalia chose this alias, that in the event that Ryu would talk about her, Saskia would be the one in trouble, if they were caught. But they wouldn't be caught, so for now it would only provide hidden laughter.

"The police arrived and got them away. I'm worried about how they were able to so easily come in and apprehend us, although we wouldn't pay attention to the glaring premonitions," Ryu sighed and shook his head, then pushed a strand of grey out of his eyes. It fell back to his face and this time Nakalia brushed it out and hooked it behind his ears, looking as concerned as she possibly could.

"Well you being the chairman of the council, I'm sure you can pass some laws."

"I need to figure out what laws, and then there is the setback of the other councilmembers agreeing. And of course there are only so many laws the Triads would listen to."

"The Triads want power and money. Secure City Hall and the Treasury, and the police headquarters can take care of themselves. All the main passageways should be covered, not just the door in front of the main room. Don't give them what they want and they will "

Ryu scribbled that down along with other details, Nakalia read them to be, higher security alarms in the treasury and bank. Nakalia remembered each word, repeated them to herself silently and waited until he finished to close his papers. The leather white couch was never a good spot for what would happen next, Nakalia stroked its soft shell and then moved that hand to Ryu's, feeling the wrinkled flesh on the outside of his skin.

"Now let's stop doing work for today," Nakalia simpered, lowering her eyelids.

Ryu took his hand into her own, a habit they had developed since the very first parts of their relationship, the first time Nakalia seduced him, felt the prongs of her power over him.

They nestled into the couch of the living room, brown suede right under their soon to be heated bodies, the windows open and whistling the freshly done storm, Nakalia sighed at the thought of fresh air and walking home through the park. But Ryu took her away from the thoughts and into the charged present.

Where Laong was soft and delicate, Ryu was passionate and hungry, licking around her lips with no proper course, a freedom from the dictations of the court rooms, and council politics. Laong would relish in those very things, but aging Ryu sought freedom from an aging job (Lin Bei Fong, only forty, was already graying. Nakalia hoped dearly that she wouldn't be in that position in fifteen years). Laong was sensible, Ryu was wild, and pressing, but both were the company Nakalia endured through, enjoyed during the moment, but did it for information and power. However pleasing, it wasn't real, and Nakalia herself was hungry for just that: real.

The walk home, with Nakalia still breathing heavily, was filled with a heavy sadness, a feeling she had never been accustomed to enduring through. She soon formulated a plan in her head, one to help her Triad to rise to power, and help her return the Kavak she had known for as long as she had memory.

There were two lose ends to it, the perfect plan of snatching every politician, throwing the city into disarray than soon fixing it with her own guiding hand, Lin Beifong, everyone knew how protective she was of _her _city, and the Fire Nation, who had been asked to help. Ba Sing Se did the same three years ago, and afterwards every single gang, major and minor, wouldn't dare to peak out from underground and still didn't. But the Red Monsoons were powerful and intelligent, and bound to be a surprise, Nakalia did love surprises, and not even Lin Beifong or the Fire Nation could overcome that.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

**To answer the reviewer's (Charisma's, I think) question: right now it is a bit scattered, it is about the same conflict but right now its still rising, and I'm choosing the POVs that would show that. It's going to start getting much more focused now, although I'm introducing one more POV character in chapter 7.**

**I have no idea how to describe my summer: full of highs and lows, and I can't wait for school. If I have time, I will work on this, but I predict truckloads of homework knowing my school...**

**Please review, it makes my day/ evening.**


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